Brandon Valenzuela's offense has declined since departure of Tyler Heineman

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Blue Jays' Brandon Valenzuela's offense has declined since departure of Tyler Heineman

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Sep 9, 2026 11:10 PM ET

Since the departure of veteran catcher Tyler Heineman, Toronto Blue Jays rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela's offense has taken a major detour.

The 25-year-old switch-hitter has only hit one home run, three RBI and an OPS around .500 across 38 games since Heineman was designated for assignment on June 12.

Before Heineman joined the Los Angeles Angels, Valenzuela had hit seven home runs, with a .799 OPS, a 117 OPS+, and a 1.7 bWAR across his first 45 MLB games.

His once dominant form has turned into an offensive slump. However, his drop in production is likely a factor of decreased playing time. Valenzuela has only hit .172/.260/.247 across 104 plate appearances with a 47 wRC+ since Alejandro Kirk returned from the injury list on June 12.

The solid plate discipline that he once possessed has shown an increase in strikeouts, with 66 strikeouts across 84 games. Valenzuela has also not hit the long ball since July 17, adding to the team's lack of power production this season.

In 38 games since Tyler Heineman was DFAd, Brandon Valenzuela has 1 HR, 3 RBI and an OPS around .500
— Chris Black (@DownToBlack) September 9, 2026

Despite Brandon Valenzuela's plummeting offense, his defense continues to be an upside

Valenzuela has continued to provide elite defense for the Blue Jays, with a framing value of 8 that ranks in the 100th percentile. He's also thrown out 17 base runners across 56 attempts, which equates to a 30% caught-stealing rate.

In addition, he also owns a Field Run Value (FRV) of 12, which ranks him eighth in MLB. As well, on July 30, his FRV of 11 ranked first among all qualified catchers, marking his polished defense behind the plate.

Valenzuela's offensive output has plummeted, failing to match his ceaseless top-notch defense. The Blue Jays only remain one game behind a final AL wild-card spot and would benefit from the rookie rediscovering his dominant form at the plate.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

More must-reads: